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Potential 2016 ballot measures
You can view the list of potential state ballot measures for the current year here.
| 2016 U.S. State Ballot Measures | |
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This page listed potential statewide ballot measures that had been filed, were being reviewed, or had begun circulation to obtain signatures for them to be placed on a 2016 primary or general election ballot. Now it lists information about how measures were or could have been put on the ballot in each state. A list of measures that did not qualify for the 2016 ballot can be found here.
Overview
- See also: Ballot measures and States with initiative or referendum
There are many different types of measures that can be placed on the ballot. Most ballot measures are either referred to the ballot by the state legislature or through a petition process initiated by state citizens. A small number of measures are placed on the ballot as automatic ballot referrals and are not referred by the people or the legislature. Each state has different laws that dictate which types of measures are allowed and the requirements that must be met to qualify for the ballot. State legislatures can place legislatively referred constitutional amendments and legislatively referred state statutes on the ballot, while citizens can use petitions to place initiated constitutional amendments, initiated state statutes, indirect initiated constitutional amendments, indirect initiated state statutes, and veto referendums on the ballot.
Measures referred by the legislature
- See also: Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions
Generally, legislatively referred measures must be approved by a majority of members of both houses of the legislature prior to the end of the legislative session in order to be placed on the ballot. Some states require only a simple majority, while others require approval by a supermajority of members (e.g. two-thirds) to qualify a measure for the ballot. A small number of states require a measure to be approved in two consecutive legislative sessions in order to appear on the ballot.
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Measures put on the ballot through citizen petitions
Laws that govern the citizen initiative process or referendum process vary widely from state to state among the 26 states that feature such a process, but the general requirements are similar for all states. Generally, citizens may submit a petition for a ballot measure to the secretary of state's office or the office of some other state official, who must then approve the petition for circulation for signature gathering. Typically, signature gatherers are given a period of time during which they must collect a designated amount of valid signatures to submit to the secretary of state's office. If enough signatures are deemed valid by the deadline, the measure can be placed on the ballot. Most states with the initiative process determine the number of signatures needed based on a percentage of registered voters or votes cast in the most recent general or gubernatorial election. States that allow multiple types of citizen petitions often have different signature requirements for constitutional amendments, statutes, and veto referendums.
Alabama
- See also: Alabama 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the Alabama State Legislature ended on May 4, 2016, leaving no remaining potential measures for the November 8, 2016, ballot.
Alaska
- See also: Alaska 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the Alaska State Legislature ended on April 17, 2016, leaving no remaining potential measures for the November 8, 2016, ballot.
Arizona
- See also: Arizona 2016 ballot measures
- Legislators had until the end of the legislative session, on May 7, 2016, to approve legislative referrals for the ballot.
- The signature deadline for initiatives was July 7, 2016.
- The signature deadline for referendums was August 5, 2016.
All potential measures have been either placed on the ballot or failed to meet requirements.
Arkansas
- See also: Arkansas 2016 ballot measures
- The 2016 legislative session in Arkansas was a fiscal session, which meant legislators did not considering any proposed constitutional measures and could not put any on the November ballot. The legislature did put legislatively referred constitutional amendments on the November 2016 ballot during it's 2015 legislative session.
- The signature deadline for initiatives and referendums was July 8, 2016.
All potential measures for the November 2016 ballot in Arkansas have either been certified or did not qualify.
California
- See also: California 2016 ballot propositions
The November 2016 ballot in California was finalized for 2016 regarding ballot measures in July 2016. No more new ballot measures could be added to the ballot. To see information about measures for the 2018 ballot, click here.
The deadline for submitting signatures to qualify an initiative for the 2016 ballot has passed. The California secretary of state suggested submitting signatures by late June 2016 to give enough time for certification. Fourteen initiatives qualified for the November 2016 ballot.
Florida
- See also: Florida 2016 ballot measures
The deadline for submitting signatures to qualify initiatives for the 2016 ballot in Florida was February 1, 2016, and the legislative session ended on March 11, 2016. Thus, no more measures can be put on the 2016 ballot in Florida by either citizen petition campaigns or the legislature. See Florida 2016 ballot measures to learn about the five measures that have been certified for the ballot.
Georgia
- See also: Georgia 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the Georgia State Legislature ended on March 25, 2016. The legislature put four ballot measures on the 2016 ballot; two were approved for the ballot in 2015 and two were referred to voters in the 2016 legislative session.
Hawaii
- See also: Hawaii 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the Hawaii State Legislature ended on May 5, 2016. The legislature put two ballot measures on the 2016 ballot.
Idaho
- See also: Idaho 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the Idaho State Legislature ended on March 25, 2016. The legislature put one ballot measure on the 2016 ballot. There were also three potential citizen initiatives circulating, but none of them qualified for the ballot.
Indiana
- See also: Indiana 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the Indiana State Legislature ended on March 10, 2016, leaving no remaining potential measures for the November 8, 2016, ballot.
Kentucky
- See also: Kentucky 2016 ballot measures
- Legislators had until the end of the legislative session, on April 15, 2016, to approve legislative referrals for the ballot.
The 2016 regular session of the Kentucky State Legislature ended on April 12, 2016, leaving no remaining potential measures for the November 8, 2016, ballot.
Maine
- See also: Maine 2016 ballot measures
The initiative signature filing deadline for the Maine ballot in 2016 passed on February 1, 2016. Valid signature petitions were submitted for four initiatives, qualifying the measures to go before the Maine State Legislature and then to the ballot if not enacted by the legislature. Petitioners for five initiatives failed to collect enough signatures for valid petitions. The Maine State Legislature was able to put legislatively referred constitutional amendments or legislatively referred state statutes on the 2016 ballot until the session ended in April 2016.
Maryland
- See also: Maryland 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the Maryland State Legislature ended on April 11, 2016. The legislature put one measure, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, on the November 2016 election ballot. No veto referendums were circulated targeting the 2016 election.
Massachusetts
- See also: Massachusetts 2016 ballot measures
- To qualify these measures for the November 2016 election ballot, petitioners needed to collect 10,792 signatures and submit them to local clerks by about June 22, 2016, so that the petitions could be submitted to the state by a legal deadline on July 6, 2016.[1][2]
The signature deadline was July 6, 2016, leaving no more potential measures for the November 8, 2016, ballot.
Michigan
- See also: Michigan 2016 ballot measures
The Michigan State Legislature had until September 8, 2016, to refer measures to the ballot. No measures were referred during the 2016 legislative session.
Minnesota
- See also: Minnesota 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the Minnesota State Legislature ended on May 23, 2016. The legislature did not put any ballot measures on the 2016 ballot during its 2016 session. Lawmakers, however, did put a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on the 2016 ballot during its 2014 legislative session.
Mississippi
- See also: Mississippi 2016 ballot measures
The deadline for submitting signatures for 2016 initiatives in Mississippi was October 7, 2015. Signatures for none of the filed initiatives were submitted. Since initiatives in Mississippi can be circulated for a year, however, eight initiatives filed in 2015 remained active with the potential to qualify for the 2018 election ballot. Mississippi did not hold any state ballot measure elections in 2017.
The 2016 regular session of the Mississippi State Legislature ended on April 21, 2016. The legislature did not put any ballot measures on the 2016 ballot.
Missouri
- See also: Missouri 2016 ballot measures
- The signature deadline for initiatives and referendums was May 8, 2016.
- Legislators had until the end of the legislative session, on May 13, 2016, to approve legislative referrals for the ballot.
The Missouri Secretary of State certified six measures for the November 8, 2016, ballot, leaving no more potential measures.
Montana
- See also: Montana 2016 ballot measures
- There was no regular session for the Montana State Legislature in 2016.
- The signature deadline for referendums was September 29, 2015.
- The signature deadline for initiatives to county clerks was May 20, 2016, and to the Secretary of State was June 17, 2016.
The deadline for processing submitted signatures in Montana was July 15, 2016. There are no more potential measures for the November 8, 2016, ballot.
Nebraska
- See also: Nebraska 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the Nebraska State Legislature ended on April 20, 2016, and the legislature did not put any measures on the 2016 ballot. One citizen initiated veto referendum was on the ballot.
Nevada
- See also: Nevada 2016 ballot measures
- There was no regular session for the Nevada State Legislature in 2016.
- The signature deadline for initiatives and referendums was June 21, 2016.
There are no remaining potential measures in Nevada for the 2016 ballot.
New Hampshire
- See also: New Hampshire 2016 ballot measures
There were no potential ballot measures in New Hampshire in 2016.
New Mexico
- See also: New Mexico 2016 ballot measures
No veto referendum petitions were filed for the November 2016 election in New Mexico. The state legislative session ran from January 19, 2016, through February 18, 2016, during which time they approved one legislatively referred constitutional amendment for the ballot and four bond issues. They considered multiple introduced legislatively referred constitutional amendments.
New York
- See also: New York 2016 ballot measures
- Legislators had until the end of the legislative session, projected to be June 16, 2016, to approve legislative referrals for the ballot.
The 2016 regular session of the New York State Legislature ended on June 16, 2016, leaving no remaining potential measures for the November 8, 2016, ballot. Zero measures were approved for the ballot.
North Carolina
- See also: North Carolina 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the North Carolina State Legislature ended on July 1, 2016. The legislature did not put any ballot measures on the 2016 ballot.
North Dakota
- See also: North Dakota 2016 ballot measures
The North Dakota State Legislature did not have a regular session in 2016, and all the filing deadlines for citizen initiatives passed. A total of six ballot measures were certified for the 2016 election cycle in North Dakota, and there was one measure that could potentially qualify for the 2018 ballot.
Ohio
- See also: Ohio 2016 ballot measures
Supporters of potential initiatives did not submit signatures for any measures by the July 6, 2016, deadline.
Oregon
- See also: Oregon 2016 ballot measures
- Legislators had until the end of the legislative session, on March 3, 2016, to approve legislative referrals for the ballot.
- The signature deadline for initiatives was July 8, 2016.
The deadline for processing submitted signatures in Oregon was July 8, 2016. There are no more potential measures for the November 8, 2016, ballot.
Pennsylvania
- See also: Pennsylvania 2016 ballot measures
- In Pennsylvania, an amendment can go on the ballot after just one session but only if the legislature declares an emergency. In the absence of an emergency, the amendment must be considered in two separate legislative sessions.
No more potential measures remain for the 2016 ballot in Pennsylvania.
South Carolina
- See also: South Carolina 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the South Carolina State Legislature ended on June 2, 2016. The legislature did not put any ballot measures on the 2016 ballot.
Texas
- See also: Texas 2016 ballot measures
Texas had no regular legislative session in 2016. Thus, the legislature was not able to put any ballot measures on the ballot in 2016.
Utah
- See also: Utah 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the Utah State Legislature ended on March 10, 2016. The legislature put three ballot measures on the 2016 ballot; one was approved for the ballot in 2015, and two were introduced during the 2016 legislative session.
Virginia
- See also: Virginia 2016 ballot measures
Virginia does not feature an initiative or veto referendum process. The 2016 state legislative session ran from January 13, 2016, through March 11, 2016, during which time the legislature considered many introduced legislatively referred constitutional amendments. State legislators approved two for the ballot.
West Virginia
- See also: West Virginia 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the West Virginia State Legislature ended on March 12, 2016. The legislature did not put any ballot measures on the 2016 ballot.
Wisconsin
- See also: Wisconsin 2016 ballot measures
The 2016 regular session of the Wisconsin State Legislature ended on April 7, 2016. The legislature did not put any ballot measures on the 2016 ballot.
Wyoming
- See also: Wyoming 2016 ballot measures
Wyoming allows citizen-initiated measures in the form of initiated state statutes and veto referendums. Two initiative petitions were filed targeting the 2016 election ballot. Both measures failed to reach the ballot. One measure could still qualify for the ballot in 2018. The Wyoming State Legislature was in session from February 8, 2016, to March 4, 2016, during which time the legislature considered multiple legislatively referred constitutional amendments, putting one on the ballot.
